"They took my crew! The Collectors came aboard my ship and took my crew!" Shepard stalked through her cabin as she talked. Garrus leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching her. "I've always known that this battle is personal – the Reapers want me. But this…"

"So, what are you going to do?"

"It's time to take the battle to them. It's time to go to the Collector Base." Shepard walked to where Garrus stood and leaned against him. "If you have anyone that you need to talk to, now would be the time to do it."

He hugged her against him. "How long?"

"Very soon; tomorrow at the latest. I want to give the team time to say their farewells, so to speak."

"So, do you really think we won't be coming back?"

"Absolutely not!" Linda pulled back so she could meet his eyes. "I intend to defeat the Collectors, rescue my crew, and bring my whole team back. But I'm a realist – I know things may not happen that way."

Giving Shepard another hug, Garrus said "I guess I better go make some calls. I'll see you soon."

####

Garrus stepped into Shepard's cabin, surprised to see that the only illumination came from the fish tank. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust. "Shepard?"

"I'm here," she called quietly from the bedroom. Garrus walked slowly, his eyes still adjusting. When he reached the bottom of the steps, he saw Shepard sitting on the edge of the bed in her robe, her hair still damp from the shower.

"I heard. We're on our way to the Omega 4 relay."

"Yes. Joker says that we have two hours." Shepard stood and approached Garrus, slowly removing her robe. "Shall we make the most of them?" She reached out and began to gently undress him. Smiling, she glanced up at him, "This reminds me of the first time we made love."

"Except this time, I'm not nervous." Garrus moved her hands and quickly stripped off his clothes. He pulled Shepard against him roughly and brought his mouth to hers.

When the kiss finally ended, Shepard asked, "Have I ever told you how much I like the way your skin glistens in the light?" Her eyes and hands roamed over his body, memorizing every detail.

"No. Have I ever told you how much I love the way the softness of your body molds to mine?"

"Not in so many words, but your actions have spoken volumes."

Garrus trembled with barely suppressed desire. "Shepard, I'm not sure I can hold back this time."

"Good. I don't want you to." She shivered as he lowered his mouth to her neck. "I know you're worried about hurting me, but I'm not as delicate as you think I am. As a matter of fact, I want you to mark me."

Garrus raised his head, startled. "You want me to what?"

"I want you to mark me. I don't care how – use your teeth, your talons. I want you to leave some sort of lasting mark on me; something that will leave a scar. Something that will remind me of us and what we have right now every time I see it."

Garrus considered the request for a moment, and then nodded. "Alright, but you have to do the same for me."

Shepard nodded. Sliding her arms around his neck, she kissed him passionately. After a moment, she lowered her mouth to the sensitive skin on his neck. Soon, Garrus was gasping with pleasure. Without warning, Shepard bit him, hard enough to break the skin; she tasted his blood on her lips. His arms tightened around her.

Garrus growled in Shepard's ear, "My turn." He ran the rough skin of his mouth over her neck in the way that he knew she loved. As she gasped and writhed in his arms, he ran his mouth down her neck to the curve of her shoulder and bit; he felt her skin split and the rush of blood. The sensation was maddening. Shepard screamed his name, not in pain, but in desire. Her scream pushed him over the edge. There was no gentleness as he grabbed Shepard and shoved her against the wall. She wrapped her legs around him and he entered her roughly. Their blood mingled as their mouths met. Their coupling was violent, almost animalistic. Their climaxes tore through them leaving them panting for air and shaking in each other's arms.

Once he was capable of speech, Garrus asked "Shepard? Are you alright?" She nodded her head against his shoulder. "Are you sure? Look at me!"

Shepard heard the concern in his voice and raised her head, struggling for words. "I'm fine." She stroked his mandible. "I don't have the words to describe what I'm feeling. That was….incredible."

Garrus snorted. "Incredible is a good word. You're right; you aren't as fragile as I thought you were." With a smile, he added "I'll keep that in mind in the future."

"Promise?" He nodded.

They staggered to the bed and collapsed together. For several minutes they lay quietly. They both knew that this could be their last time together.

"Shepard, I…" Garrus began, and then paused, searching for the right words.

Linda placed her hand lightly over his mouth. "I know. I feel the same way."

They made love again, this time gently, letting their eyes and hands say what their words could not. Afterward, as they lay with their bodies entwined, Shepard suddenly asked, "Can you feel that?"

"What?" Garrus responded, puzzled.

"Just feel," was the only response.

Garrus lay still, extending his senses, wondering what Shepard was talking about. Just as he opened his mouth to ask again, he felt it; their breathing, even their heartbeats were perfectly synchronized. He looked at Shepard in amazement, to find her smiling at him. "Pretty awesome, isn't it?" she asked. He could only nod in agreement. They lay wrapped in a cocoon of peace, until Joker came over the intercom.

"Commander, we've reached the Omega 4 relay."

"Thank you Joker. Hold your position."

"Aye, aye Commander."

Shepard and Garrus climbed out of bed and began to dress.

"Shepard, do you want me to treat that bite wound with something? It looks pretty nasty."

Shepard shook her head as she retrieved the first aid kit. "Nothing more than an antiseptic and a bandage. I want it to scar. I want to feel the pain; it will help me stay focused on what we're fighting for."

They treated each others wounds and finished dressing in silence. Hand in hand, they climbed the stairs. As they approached the door, Shepard stopped Garrus and turned him to face her. "I love you," she told him seriously.

"I love you too," he replied, just as seriously. They stood for a moment, foreheads pressed together. Shepard squeezed Garrus' hand and stepped back, breaking contact.

"EDI, have the team gather in the Comm Room." Looking at Garrus, she told him, "I'll join you there shortly."

Garrus studied Shepard's face for a moment, nodded, then turned and walked out. A true soldier, he didn't look back.

####

It was time to begin the assault. In an effort to "divide and conquer", Shepard's team would split into two squads, each of which would take different routes to the central chamber of the base. Shepard, Samara, and Thane would form one squad; Garrus would lead the squad consisting of the remaining team members. Legion would work his way through the ventilation shaft to open the locked doors barring the team's routes.

The teams left the Normandy and headed their separate ways. Shepard caught Garrus' eye and gave him a wink. He acknowledged it with the slightest of nods. She watched him walk away, then turned to Samara and Thane; "Let's make this happen."

####

It was over. Linda didn't think she had ever been so physically and mentally exhausted in her entire life. The Normandy had barely reached a safe distance before the Collector Base exploded. Since then she had said farewell to her fallen teammates, congratulated and debriefed the remaining team members, "chatted" with the Illusive Man – she grinned as she remembered their conversation – and checked on each of the surviving crew members.

Shepard's last stop was to see Doctor Chakwas. The doctor was holding up admirably. Even though she was still recovering from her own time in captivity at the hands of the Collectors, she was treating the other survivors with her usual thoroughness. Linda gave the doctor several bottles of Serrice Ice Brandy that she had stashed away and recommended that the doctor use it liberally in her treatment of the crew.

"What about you Shepard? Are you injured?" Doctor Chakwas asked. "You look a little pale. Well, paler than usual," she added with a smile.

"Nothing that can't wait, Doctor. But thanks for your concern." Shepard smiled, squeezed the doctor's hand then turned to walk out. Her grand exit was foiled by the fact that she stumbled as she left.

"Shepard!" Doctor Chakwas rushed over and grabbed Shepard's arm.

"I'm fine, doctor – really. I'm just tired." Shepard gently removed the doctor's hand. "I'll come back tomorrow and you can give me a thorough exam." Doctor Chakwas hesitated, then nodded.

Shepard turned and walked away again – this time making sure her steps didn't falter. Once in the elevator, she leaned against the wall and wrapped her arms around her waist. She was pretty sure at least a couple of ribs were fractured and the medi-gel that she had applied earlier was wearing off. However, nothing mattered except getting to her cabin – she needed to see Garrus.

Once in her cabin, Shepard leaned against the wall by the stairs. Garrus was on the couch, first aid kit open, treating various wounds; he looked up. "You are definitely a sight for sore eyes," she told him.

Garrus cocked his head curiously. "Sore eyes? I think my eyes are about the only thing that doesn't hurt."

Shepard laughed, then winced at the pain in her side. "It's a human expression – it's used to refer to something that is pleasant or beautiful to see. You are both."

Garrus got up slowly as Linda moved just as slowly toward him. They met at the base of the stairs; Garrus pulled her into his arms. She sighed as his warmth soaked into her aching muscles. "You were magnificent today," she told him. "I knew you were the right choice to lead the fire team. I could hear you issuing orders and encouraging your squad mates. Your calmness under fire rubs off on your team." Meeting his eyes, she added "Like I told you before - you're a born leader."

He brushed her hair gently away from her face. "Thank you for believing in me, Shepard. And thank you for helping me start believing in myself again." As he pressed her body against his in a hug, Shepard gasped in pain. "What's wrong?" he asked, concern in his voice.

Shepard gestured at her side. "I'm pretty sure the slab that fell on me busted a couple of ribs. Now that the adrenaline and medi-gel have worn off, I hurt."

"Did you let the doctor check you out?"

She shook her head. "Doctor Chakwas would have made a great Marine. She is about ready to drop from exhaustion, but has a Med-Lab full of traumatized crew members. She is treating everyone with her usual courteous effectiveness. I hope she takes my advice and gives everyone – including herself – enough Serrice Ice Brandy to knock them out for a while. My ribs can wait. What about you? Are you okay? You were trapped under one of those slabs too."

"I'm banged up, but I'm okay. Being thick-skinned helped. I have some cuts and bruises, but nothing serious. Now that I've got you, everything is better." Taking her by the hand, Garrus led Shepard to the couch. "C'mon, let's get you out of that shipsuit; we need to get your ribs wrapped and get some more medi-gel in you."

Shepard nodded, but struggled as she tried to remove her suit. With Garrus' help, she got undressed with a minimum of pain. She sat, teeth gritted as Garrus began to wrap her rib cage tightly with wide strips of gauze. He gave a low whistle as he surveyed the damage. "Impressive, Shepard. I don't think I've ever seen that particular shade of purple before."

Shepard chuckled, and immediately regretted it. "You haven't seen anything yet. It will get worse before it gets better."

"I can hardly wait." His hands were gentle as he finished his ministrations and applied a hypo-spray of medi-gel. After cleaning and dressing her remaining cuts and abrasions, Garrus helped Shepard into her robe. "Now," he added as he pushed several containers toward her, "eat."

Shepard shook her head, "I'm so tired, I don't think I can."

With a grin, Garrus handed her a large glass. "The good doctor thought you might say that so she sent this; she called it a 'shake'. She said that it will give you all of the nutrients that you need, help replenish everything your body has lost today, and it's chocolate flavored."

Shepard reached for the glass. "That I think I can manage. What about you? You need to eat as well."

"Don't worry about me. I've got plenty to eat." They sipped and chewed in a comfortable silence. Once finished, Garrus sat back and pulled Shepard close. She felt a chuckle rumble through his chest as he asked "Shouldn't we be making mad, passionate love to celebrate our victory and survival?"

"Probably, but I don't think either one of us is up to it. There is a human saying, 'The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.' I think it definitely applies here. However, I promise to make it up to you soon."

"I'll hold you to it. How did your conversation go with the Illusive Man?"

Shepard grinned. "He's pretty pissed at me."

Garrus shook his head. "You have a way of pissing off dangerous people."

"He was already ticked that I decided to destroy the Collector Base instead of turning it over to him." She snorted. "Like I'm going to let that kind of technology fall into his hands. I also told him that we are doing things my way from now on – he can follow or he can get out of the way."

"Wait," Garrus interrupted. "Are you telling me that we have stolen another Normandy?"

Shepard looked at him, startled. "I hadn't looked at it that way, but yes, I guess we have."

Garrus laughed. "Shepard, I do like your style."

Shepard's face fell as she continued. "I also caused him to lose his right-hand man – or woman, in this case. I was amazed that Miranda backed me in my decision to destroy the base – she felt so strongly about it that she even quit Cerberus. And I never had a chance to thank her." She inhaled raggedly; Garrus looked down to see a tear running down her cheek. "Miranda barely spoke to me after I took Jack's side in the argument that they had. Oh, she was professional enough not to let her anger effect the missions that we went on together, but shipboard was a different matter entirely. So today, when she was willing to throw away everything that she had worked so hard to gain to support me…well, 'amazed' really doesn't even begin to describe my feelings. In the course of the battle with the Human-Reaper, I couldn't stop to thank her. Then she died in my arms, never knowing what her sacrifice meant to me." The tears were flowing freely down her face now.

Garrus picked Shepard up and placed her on his lap, where he wrapped his arms around her carefully, so he didn't jostle her ribs. She buried her face against his neck and began to cry in earnest. "So many deaths," she whispered "and it's not over yet."

"No," Garrus replied, "it isn't. More battles, more victories, and more losses lie ahead. Such is the life of a soldier. We will grieve, we will strengthen ourselves with the memories of those we have lost, and then, we will avenge them." He held Shepard as she shed the tears that that she had kept bottled up for so long – the tears that he knew she so desperately needed to shed. He was amazed at the ferocity of his love for her. He had sworn that he would follow her into Hell itself – and he knew that the gates were now swinging open. He didn't know what the future held – only that he held Shepard and that whoever, or whatever, was coming, would have to go through him to get her.

Thank you to everyone that took the time to read my story! Extra thanks to those that provided reviews, both positive and negative - your input is greatly appreciated.